Evolution: The Creation of God Posted on 12/26/2019 8:57:24 AM PST by ebb tide
ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - Catholic theologians are warning faithful Catholics to beware of Pope Francis returning to progressive "process theology," based on his Christmas message to the Roman Curia.
"The Holy Father seems to be teaching something called 'process theology,'" a widely published Catholic theologian told Church Militant. "Put simply, this is the idea that God changes as society and the world changes — that God is in the processes."
The theologian, who agreed to be identified simply as "a priest who studied theology in the late 1970s," explained that process theology is an attempt to weave evolutionary theory into theology, and was pioneered by the Protestant philosopher Alfred North Whitehead and the Jesuit paleontologist and evolutionist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
I remember process theology as a trendy theology that appealed to liberal half-wits.Tweet
On Saturday, Francis quoted Saint John Henry Newman from his "Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine." Francis noted, "Here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often."
In his Christmas address at the Sala Clementina, the pontiff clarified that for Newman, "change was conversion" or "interior transformation," emphasizing that change is particularly significant for our time since it is "not merely an epoch of changes, but an epochal change." Seen in this light, "change would still take place, but beginning with man as its center, "an anthropological conversion," Francis said.
The Holy Father then deployed the terminology and hermeneutic of process theology, citing a 2013 interview with Fr. Antonio Spadaro — which led to mixed reactions on social media because of its confusing message:
Evolution: The Creation of God
We need to initiate processes and not just occupy spaces: "God manifests himself in historical revelation, in history. Time initiates processes and space crystalizes them. God is in history, in the processes. We must not focus on occupying the spaces where power is exercised, but rather on starting long-run historical processes. We must initiate processes rather than occupy spaces. God manifests himself in time and is present in the processes of history. This gives priority to actions that give birth to new historical dynamics. And it requires patience, waiting."
"In this sense, we are urged to read the signs of the times with the eyes of faith, so that the direction of this change should 'raise new and old questions which it is right that we should face,'" he added.
"This is the paragraph that I find disturbing. It seems right out of a book of process theology," the theologian observed.
"I remember process theology as a trendy theology that appealed to liberal half-wits. It was quite fashionable for a time, but I had thought it had died out along with bell-bottoms and tie-dyed shirts. Apparently not," he noted.
Father Dwight Longenecker, a Catholic convert from Anglicanism, agrees.
In a tweet in response to the pontiff's remarks, he simply posted the words "Process Theology" followed by a link to the Wikipedia entry on the topic.
Other Catholics also responded on social media with incomprehension.
"Oh, that's clear as mud," said one commenter on Twitter.
"Who writes this stuff for him? Does he even understand what this means?" asked another.
"Never underestimate the ability of post-moderns to use tons of words in order to say absolutely nothing," said another.
Quoting the composer Gustav Mahler, a Catholic convert from Judaism, Francis explained tradition as "the guarantee of the future and not a container of ashes," noting, nevertheless, the need for it to be "grounded mainly in fidelity to the depositum fidei [Deposit of Faith]."
Francis cautioned his audience to be "wary of the temptation to rigidity," which is "born of the fear of change, which ends up erecting fences and obstacles on the terrain of the common good, turning it into a minefield of incomprehension and hatred."
In what some interpreted as a swipe at traditionalist Catholics, the pontiff continued: "Let us always remember that behind every form of rigidity lies some kind of imbalance. Rigidity and imbalance feed one another in a vicious circle. And today this temptation to rigidity has become very real."
Pope Francis: Behind every form of rigidity lies some kind of imbalance. Tweet
Dr. Gavin Ashenden, recent Anglican convert to Catholicism and a lay theologian in the diocese of Shrewsbury, explained to Church Militant how process theology was "born in a somewhat narcissistic and existentialist culture":
Process theology takes our preoccupation with our self and self-development and projects it onto God, so that like us, He too is thought of as 'becoming' rather than 'being' — 'becoming' in fact in relation to our own 'becoming.' This is an interesting idea, but fails, I think, to give sufficient weight to our own derivating contingency, or dependency on God, and impose on Him by projection, our preoccupation with our own self-development.
"Instead of us being more like Him, it makes Him too much like us," Ashenden commented.
One of process theologian Whitehead's favorite aphorisms was: "It is as true to say that God creates the World, as that the World creates God."
Elsewhere, the pontiff said, "Christendom no longer exists! Today we are no longer the only ones who create culture, nor are we in the forefront or those most listened to. We need a change in our pastoral mindset, which does not mean moving towards a relativistic pastoral care. We are no longer living in a Christian world."
Ping
And process theology is just warmed over Hegelian dialectic.
No. And, as always with this “pope”, the truth is exactly opposite of what he says.
Behind EVERY instance of “rigidity” (that has been tested by the trials of time, and is based on the foundations of faith, lies stability and safety.
It is the false pride of always and needlessly demanding “change” (evolution, progressive, socialism, ...) that CREATES instability and chaos!
May God Almighty shorten this time of confusion and destruction.
So can we expect God to eventually begin siding with pelosi and begin cheerleading the slaughter of innocent children?
It all follows the theology of an evolving “everything” from the earth to humanity to the Omega point - The Cosmic Christ.
Read de Chardin as an 18 year old senior in a Catholic School. It was heady stuff at that time going into Vatican II with the idea of an evolving church.
It is rather bunkus to my very aged eyes now.
It would seem to me that the concept of an evolving God places limits on the God of Creation who exists outside time and the universe, and makes the Christ an artifact of history.
IMHO. Been a long time since I have read de Chardin.
“So can we expect God to eventually begin siding with pelosi and begin cheerleading the slaughter of innocent children?”
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Why certainly anyone can see God and Holiness in the death of children. It’s right there in the Bible, somewhere around where God tells us how righteous it is to have sex with children, and how good and righteous homosexuality is, and right there around where he commands man to marry man, and woman to marry woman. I’m telling you this Pope is absolutely kicking it. God and the media and the Democrats are all on the same page, and the world is going to be a better and more righteous place.
(no /s needed please)
“Let us always remember that behind every form of rigidity lies some kind of imbalance.”
The Pope simply forgot to add the Bible verses he based this on, Matthew 7:24-27, where Jesus said there should be nothing solid in the world and we should not look for it. /off SARC
This Pope may have only intended to prove Luther correct, but he is rapidly showing the wisdom of Calvin and John Knox. Pretty soon, he will have people begging for Cromwell, too.
There is also the parable about building on a solid foundation of rock, and Peter was dubbed “the rock,” and Jesus was the “cornerstone” - all symbols of firmness and stability.
“Pope”???
Frankie vomits heresy. Again.
We learned The Faith in our youth. Keep The Faith. Teach The Faith to all children in your care. Frankie’s verbal regurgitations and excretions have little to do with The Faith.
Sorry. All my life I’ve been accused of being too subtle. I think that Matthew 7 citation may be the parable you refer to, where Jesus says to build your house upon the rock, and not upon the sand. I was being a bit too sarcastic.
They've been ‘weaving’ a great deal more than evolution into their doctrines and theology for centuries, God wasn't and isn't in those changes or processes of distortion and deception........Further, the Popes ideas of seeking a Utopian world of all faiths inclusiveness, permissiveness and acceptance for any and all behaviors without judgment or consequences is diametrically opposed to the clear teachings recorded in Gods Word.
If I was looking to destroy the Roman Catholic Church I would make sure that someone like Franky was the Pope.
We are imperfect beings, and will always be so, hence our need for salvation and our gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice that paid our way into heaven.
However, it seems like the Pope is insinuating that Perfection itself (God/Jesus/Holy Spirit), can be perfected.
My question to the Pope would be, “Do you think God needs to be perfected?
Hegelian-Dialectic theory (philosophy)
SOURCE :< https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/hegelian-dialectic >
Step #1 : An "assertible proposition ( thesis )
Step #2 : is necessarily opposed by an equally assertible and apparently contradictory proposition ( antithesis ),
Step #3 :the mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth by a third proposition ( synthesis )"
Step #1: is orthodoxy/ fundamental belief
Step#2: is contradictory belief
Step #3: is reconciliation, or compromised belief as an 'end-result'
I do not believe in 'Evolutionary Theology' as identified by the catholic Church leader.
I do NOT believe that my eternal God has changed, nor do my religious beliefs need updating.
That is why I refer to the Roman Catholic leader as the 'catholic Jesuit poop'
which includes the small 'c' for catholic, and intentional misspelling of his title.
I do not think that alternative religious belief are grounds for killing someone (Islam),
nor do I believe that worshiping pagan idols in the Vatican, or elsewhere is acceptable,
since many have been warned of apostasy in the Church.
My eternal relationship with my God is too important to me to need updating
or include a more humanistic and pagan concept of an updated Baal.
Francis is the 'jesuit catholic poop',.. just NOT MY POPE !
My relationship with God does NOT require updating
by a humanistic, pagan, apostate, 'jesuit catholic poop'.
Love it! For whatever reason, when I read your response, I hear it in the French accent used by the soldiers on the castle wall in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. LOL!
Oui ! C'est vrai !
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